To Save a Life
by hippiechick2112
Summary: Part three of a series of four, "Prelude to Danger". London frantically radios Stalag 13 to help send two prisoners to Germany from Poland. How much ARE these prisoners worth? And who, exactly, are they?
1. Plans to Motivate

**To Save a Life**

**Note and Disclaimer:**** I'll be saying this every time. I don't own the characters to ****Hogan's Heroes****. I would like to thank those who have created this series. However, the character I have created in this series, Colonel Michalovich, belongs to me, so if you want to use her in any story you wish to write, please email me with permission first. Thank you!**

******

_Thursday, March 18, 1943_

_To Colonel Robert E. Hogan, senior P.O.W. officer of Stalag 13 and former commander of the 504__th__ Bomber Squadron of the United States Army Air Force: urgent message from Allied Headquarters, London. Repeated message: the mission, in which H8WC has failed to complete, is vital for your men and for the Allies. More reports will be sent later on the dynamics of the rocket base and what should be done. The oil that was blown has been remade and needs to be destroyed before the Axis Powers launch the rocket._

_Also of the utmost importance: Colonel Michalovich and Major Donovan-White have been spotted alive at the Auschwitz camp in Poland as of 1950 hours of Thursday, March 11, 1943. If it can be done on your part or through the Underground, rescue them, on orders from the High Command. They are the sole survivors of H8WC and will be needed for this mission to destroy the rocket base, for we will all be destroyed if it isn't. Use the Allied Underground if needed. General Alburtis, head of British Intelligence, wants them alive and well._

A door creaked opened to Hogan's quarters as he read the latest, and most annoying, message from London that a drunk Baby Bear had sent them a few minutes previously. Sitting on his top bunk, Hogan glanced over to the door, hoping that the German guards were not on the prowl again as they had been recently. He breathed a sigh of relief. One of his men peeked in, his dark face almost apologetic that he entered upon the Colonel's dominion.

"Did you receive the message from Headquarters Colonel?" The man, Sergeant Kinchloe, known to everyone in the camp as Kinch, entered Hogan's private space. "London keeps frantically sending that one message and it's been the same, over and over again. They're desperate to have this mission finished."

"Yes, Kinch," the bass voice of Hogan replied with a sigh. "I received the message. I'm aware of what they want." The sadness in his voice evident, the Colonel rose from his top bunk, waving the paper in his hand as he jumped from it. His feet soundly hit the dusty floor, causing a whirlwind of tumbleweeds that made him and Kinch wheeze. The two ignored it as Hogan continued with business. "It's apparently urgent enough to send it time and again. The Underground doesn't want to deal with the problem just yet. They can't run the risk until they're sure that they're coming back alive, but they _need_ to or else we'll lose the war, not to mention our lives. They need a solid plan."

"Is that's what's been keeping us?" LeBeau, the camp's main cook, popped his head in, missing the dust episode entirely. He knew what the conversation was about and natural curiosity kept him intact about the dynamics of the original plan, leaving more of an air of mystery about the hoped-for rescue. "We destroyed the oil for their rocket. We could do it again. We've done it before. What do we need these people for?"

The question from LeBeau clearly hurt Hogan and his men in the quarters saw it for a split second before he answered. "London considers these two people top spies. They were transferred from their medical unit in London to Paris in order to gain more insight in the Vichy and into the Germans in France. The top brass in Paris love to go there." LeBeau growled in disgust about the invasion of France, but Hogan continued before a long-winded rant from the patriotic Frenchman ensued, his words seeming to jumble up into mechanical words. They seemed mumbled, as if he didn't want them to hear them, but felt the need to speak them. "One of them…I knew her. She's got spunk. She and a friend of hers stay together. She was assigned to the Underground and the Allied Headquarters a few months after I was." There was a pause. "Now, London needs them out because they have information to save the war for us. They seem important enough for them to bother us."

"So, we need to head for the top if we could," the Englander, Newkirk, who had just moved men to get in, chimed in. "We know that Burkhalter's comin' by tonight."

"We could start there," Hogan said slowly. "Burkhalter isn't going to do anything personally, but he might be able to pull some strings." The men, noticing a change in Hogan's attitude, listened further for their instructions. "We need to act quickly if London is going to get their way. Lives are at stake, for all they are concerned. LeBeau, since Burkhalter's going to be here tonight, Klink's going to want to impress him. I'm sure that he's going to be reminding me later."

LeBeau, growling again, obviously not thrilled about cooking another gourmet dinner. Hogan ignored it and continued, knowing that LeBeau would do it with spite. _All he needs if a reminder about how important these missions are_, Hogan thought before saying further instructions."Newkirk…grab some men, Carter and Olsen especially, from the other barracks and ask them to be waiters for tonight. I'm sure that they wouldn't mind, since we're trying to get two women from a camp." Smiles were exchanged from three enlisted men. They knew what it was like to be without women. Not to mention, in order to execute the plan perfectly, it meant that they would achieve it well, selfish as it seemed.

Hogan finally smiled with his men, knowing that he, too, missed company, especially the one spy they were aiming to rescue. His eyes twinkled mischievously, as if he was playing innocent, but was up to something. And indeed, the men were up to another mission, especially if women were concerned. "Ok then," Hogan continued, "we need to get moving. Kinch?"

"Yes, Colonel," the Sergeant answered. The black man turned to his commanding officer as the other two filed out of the Colonel's quarters, intent on their assignments. Newkirk closed the door, leaving the two men alone.

Hogan looked back at Kinch, as if searching for some reassurance, but paused. _He_ was the one who was supposed to help his men, not the other way around. _Oh, God, Kinch, do you think they're alive right now? Do you think Nikki, my Desertstar, survived this place in which they said everyone was killed in? I can't believe that any place could do that. It's just a camp. Ethnicities were put in there. Prisoners who were deemed important are put there. Nikki can't be that important to the Third Reich. No, she promised not to follow me. Kinch, we still need her…_I_ still need her with me. She's my love. I can't live without her._

"Kinch, radio London and ask them for further instruction. Tell them that…we're working on getting their two agents out of Poland. I understand that we need them for this mission, but ask them if there are any other survivors of H8WC that they missed."

"I don't think it's possible that there are other agents alive," Kinch answered truthfully, repeating what was said by Baby Bear earlier. He put his hand on his command officer's shoulder. "Colonel, the agents were all murdered except for possibly those last two. London says that British Intelligence has no idea why they were spared and not everyone else. London claims that a family member from the Kraut side picked them up and shipped them, mercifully enough." Kinch stopped, not sure if he was allowed to go on. There was an awkward silence.

Outside, Kinch heard the door open and the obnoxious jokes and wisecracks of his fellow prisoners in the barrack's main room. Schultz, their guard, had come in and was asking for something, but Kinch could not hear what it was (and neither could Hogan, Kinch noted as well). He had other, more important thoughts. _Damn, I'm the Colonel's friend. He needs to hear the truth and have some hope. I'm sure that his friends would come out of that camp, from wherever they are._

Hogan smiled again. He heard the noises outside finally and took in the concept of the strange companionship of his men. He especially took in these truths. It hurt him worse, but it was better than a false hope being dashed. Cold reality was certainly better than the perfect universe. _Kinch is right. We need to be patient, especially me. Desertstar can survive with Nancy. Those two have the power and strength to._

"Thanks, friend," Hogan said. He put his hand on Kinch's shoulder, returning the favor, and felt the bond of brotherhood between them for a few seconds. The two exchanged a friendly smile again before a knock on the door interrupted them. Immediately, the familiarity disappeared and Hogan acknowledged the person on the other end. It was Carter, their demolitions man, who came in. "Colonel Hogan, Schultz is outside t-the door and is r-requesting that –"

"PLU-EASE Colonel Ho-GAN!" The familiar voice of the camp's Sergeant of the Guards echoed into the Colonel's quarters. The laughs of the fellow men in the barracks, however, were not quite drowned out by the Sergeant's loud demands. Schultz kept yelling out what he wished, but nobody could hear him until Hogan stuck his head out the door, pushing Carter gently out of the way and ordering the men to quiet down for a few minutes.

"Colonel Hogan, Kommandant Klink wishes to see you in his office!" Schultz finally yelled something that Hogan could hear. With that, the barrack's door slammed again as Schultz waddled out, intent on reporting the behavior of the men to the Kommandant. Laughter, though, filled the room, giving warmth back to the barracks when the quiet had kept them oddly indifferent and remote. The men missed being home and constantly tried to occupy themselves without fighting, as they did before Hogan came to Stalag 13.

"He never gives up, does he?" Kinch asked Hogan as he came out of Hogan's quarters with him. He was referring to Schultz's attempts to control the wild men who paced their cages daily, knowing that any day they could leave through their elaborate tunnel system. Built by prisoners before Allied prisoners came in, London wanted Hogan in contact with the Underground as much as possible. The camp's prisoners also often took turns sneaking out of camp, either to meet a woman in town or to go on missions.

"He can't give up," Hogan replied, forgetting about their mission – and the possible demise of the Allied Forces – for a few seconds. He became serious fast on recalling to memory what they needed to do, and said to Kinch, "Schultz has a job to do and so do we." Determination filled Hogan's face, giving him the strength to move on. _Klink ordered me to his office. Step one of the plan may depend upon this._


	2. Klink Lectures

"Hogan, you need to control your men. They have been making rude noises during roll call and are otherwise causing a disturbance in the camp. And they aren't even provoked!"

Another lecture from the camp's kommandant, Klink, filled Hogan's ears as soon as he set foot into Klink's office. Hilde, the secretary for the week, accompanied Hogan as far as the office's door and introduced Hogan to Klink, batting her eyelashes at the sudden lovesick colonel as he sat down in a chair. Hogan forgot who he was rescuing as he started to make the motion of blowing a secret kiss to Hilde, but stopped himself as his arm stood midair. Guilt filled his stoic face as he returned the affection by waving his hand casually at Hilde.

The blonde secretary understood the seriousness of Hogan's new mission (she knew it on the instant, as she too had been listening to the frantic radio messages from London) and left him alone, knowing that she loved to flirt with Hogan, but keeping it away so that Hogan can rebuild relationships. Closing the door behind her, Hilde had left Hogan to Klink, who had other things on his mind.

"I understand, Kommandant," Hogan answered Klink generally. "The men have been anxious lately. They need a change of scenery." He did not expect, however, that Klink would go on a rampage about the prisoners after he tried joking his way out of it.

"Oh, do you expect that the men will have a vacation, Hogan?" Klink's snide remark went almost unnoticed by Hogan. "I heard that Berlin is good this time of year. The busy streets can keep a prisoner of war busy for a while. The pretty girls even roam the streets, looking for handsome prisoners and camp kommandants."

"Sure, Kommandant," Hogan answered, but without color. "I was more thinking of the Swiss Alps. The skiing is pretty good, but with spring coming on, I think that the pretty mountain landscape would give the men more hope. The snow might be melting soon and spring will be on their minds."

Klink hit his palm against his desk. "Hogan, I am not talking about what the prisoners want! I want them to stop this nonsense and the attitude!" And so Klink went, but Hogan paid no attention to them. Blocking out the talks together, Hogan could only recount in his head how many times he had to listen to Klink talk about the behavior of the men in camp. He began to daydream within a series of thoughts. A feeling of serenity – a soft infant's head, a mother's joy and his family's happiness – washed over him before a darker, more sinister image waited in his mind: _coffins_. Coffins overshadowed the memory that he sought oftentimes to forget. Coffins that held the week-old infant that died suddenly…coffins that could hold his men if they were caught…two separate coffins that could hold two people: Love and Friendship. They seemed recognizable to him and indeed were. It was destroyed.

_No, it can't be. They're still alive. London said they were. God, they said that they were. But that was a few days ago. Anything could change. No, they're alive. They have to be!_

The mind clashed as the outside forces stopped the battle. For once, Klink had saved Hogan from total agony within his mind. "Hogan, are you even listening to me?" The Kommandant demanded too much from Hogan, who finally woke up from the jumbled words and images. Klink didn't look concerned, but angrier.

"Huh?" Hogan suddenly realized his mistake and sought amends. "I'm sorry, Kommandant. I haven't had much sleep lately." _A lie, but it'll suffice,_ Hogan thought, turning it in his mind. _It must be true, what, with the missions. What the hell is wrong with me anyhow? Klink usually doesn't bore me like this. I can usually twist his words around and get him to play under my thumb._

"Maybe if you weren't reading that book to your men last night, you'd be awake and listening to me!" Klink pounded his desk again. "This is insolence, Colonel Hogan, and it is what I've been talking about this whole time." Klink wagged his finger at Hogan, demanding total attention as Hogan thought about the reason why he was up late the previous night. _The men needed to hear the new code, Kommandant. It's not like it was a hygiene book like I said it was._

Klink went on, regardless of how quickly Hogan was getting antsy. "Hogan, if I hear about any misbehavior from the men, the offenders, _yourself_ included, will be sentenced to a month in the cooler in solitary confinement. You're the commanding officer of these men. You should control and curb their behavior. Now, are we perfectly clear?"

"Sure, Kommandant," Hogan answered. Looking at his watch, Hogan went into his usual jokester mood. He needed to lighten the tone and not give Klink any suspicions. "Now, can I go back to the barracks? The men need me. The Escape Committee has a meeting in a few minutes and I'm heading it. Today, the men have gathered the spoons and Barracks 4 has been cleared under the stove for –"

"Dismissed Hogan!" Klink interrupted. "And make sure to remind Corporal LeBeau to cook dinner for Burkhalter tonight."

"Ok, Chief," Hogan replied, saluting as he got up and knowing that Klink was demanding LeBeau to cook and not asking, anticipating it nonetheless. "Need the men to wait upon you, too?"

Klink gave it some contemplation, rubbing his chin to indicate such. "You know, Hogan, I'll think about that." Suddenly not interested anymore, Klink banged his desk with his hand. He remembered what their meeting was about. "Out, Hogan! And be ready for tonight or miss dinner!"

"Is that an invitation from you personally, Sir?" Hogan asked with a silly grin on his face.

"And it's also from General Burkhalter. Dismissed, Hogan!" Klink saluted him for a final time before going back to his paperwork.

Hogan could only beam in victory. As commanding officer of the prisoners, he was often invited to dinner with the Germans, especially if generals were coming. However, with the plan to rescue some agents, it gave him more room to plan out a way to get the agents when things needed to be done.

Hogan left the office, pondering the situation again. He walked back to Barracks 2 and settled back into his quarters with orders to the men not to bother him for the time being unless it was an emergency. Jumping back up on his top bunk as soon as the order was issued, Hogan sat down and outlined the circumstances. _Klink invited me to dinner after being nagged and LeBeau's going to be cooking. Hmmm…we have a general coming over and he has some influence with people, seeing as how he's in Berlin most of the time. The men are waiting on the people at dinner._

Hogan paused as soon as he heard noise outside of his quarters. He continued his ponderings when he realized that the men were only setting up for the weekly poker game. _The plan is still going accordingly, but something is bound to go wrong. No, no, wait a second here. Burkhalter is going to be there. He's a general. He loves women. _Thoughts came back into Hogan's mind, formulating a plan. _Every man, especially men like us, has a weakness and usually it is women. If Burkhalter were sympathetic to these women, maybe we can save more lives than we anticipated. Nikki and Nancy are medical officers and I'm sure they are more where they are. Let's see here…we only have Wilson as a medic here. What if something _did_ happen on an upscale level and Wilson couldn't do anything? I don't know, like if Klink couldn't get to a hospital on time and Wilson couldn't help? Hmm…this could work out…_

Hogan stewed the words in his mind before Hochstetter came into view next to Colonel Michalovich. The mention in his mind about the Gestapo stopped him. _No, I can't have Nikki here with me. They could link us together and all of us could be shot. Her file is as big as mine, if they can link her name to it. However, London needs that mission done and over with and those two are their only hope. We have until June or the Allied Forces will be decimated. That rocket aims for all locations! And after the initial test to London, more are in the making._

Hogan sighed. _This is going to take a while to figure out._


	3. Dinner with the Germans

Wine and laughter were often exchanged later that evening. General Burkhalter, Hogan and Klink shared their usual words and talks, with Klink being lectured by his superior officer and Hogan making the scene lighter. Soon enough, as the evening wound down, Burkhalter talked to the Kommandant about the needs the prison camps do not have, a common topic that Hogan knew was coming up. As Carter took another round of wine to the occupants at dinner, Hogan winked at him, a sign to jump into the conversation when the time comes.

_Hang around, Carter_, Hogan thought, hoping that somehow, Carter would remember and read his mind. He did somehow, joining Schultz at the table on the opposite end of the room, mixing coffee and some dessert in the corner.

"The High Command wishes me to transfer," Burkhalter said. "They believe that the needs of the prison camps have been met and that I have fulfilled them to their potential. I shall see to this transfer, but it has disturbed me greatly."

"Oh, General Burkhalter, you would do fine anywhere," Klink said, flattering his superior officer. "You are an excellent officer to the Third Reich!"

"Of course, if it gets me away from you," Burkhalter muttered. "But Klink, I must see. The High Command has ordered me to inspect camps in the territories the mighty German State has taken for their own. Mostly, I am told to go to Poland, where there are…some different camps in the area. It does not please me somehow."

"But you would do well if they said so," Hogan added.

"Yes," Burkhalter admitted, "and I will do it willingly. However, I do not think that these _death camps_ are meant for Luftwaffe officers like me." Burkhalter's voice, usually full of confidence and annoyance for stupidity, was suddenly frightened. _He's clearly scared about something,_ Hogan thought as he saw the General's face start to sweat. Carter turned to face Hogan, but went back to work with Schultz as Hogan signaled for him not to jump into the conversation yet.

Klink gulped. "General, you don't mean _those_?" he asked. "I mean, Hitler was right in ordering them to be established because the Jews were our greatest enemy, but –"

"You're most needed here," Hogan interrupted. He saw the opportunity and got there before Carter could say anything. "General Burkhalter, the Luftwaffe has need of generals everywhere, especially on the Eastern Front. _However_, the prison camps were turned right when you came along. Remember that beforehand, General Luchenfeld of the Luftwaffe had held the prison camps." Hogan remembered that from listening to Klink talk to other German officers on the phone. "Then, because management was poor, he was shipped out to the Eastern Front. And last I heard about him, it was said that nobody has heard from him. All that was left of him were his snow boots and a winter hat."

"True, true," Burkhalter said, indicating that Hogan go on.

"Therefore," Hogan said, thinking quickly, "you have to stick with whatever you're good with. I know that it is advice you don't like to hear, General, but it has come to my attention that you're so good at handling the prison camps that you don't need this new post in the middle of nowhere. Leave those positions for others who are more posed for them. Follow what you think is right for the good of Germany."

"You're right, Hogan," Burkhalter observed. "Luchenfeld – that blundering fool – made a mess of the prison camp system. _I_ turned it around and made it what it is today. I should tell the High Command that I would consider their offer, but might decline it. I have to do that tour though…" Burkhalter trailed, obviously deep in thought.

"But you can focus on what the prison camps _need _still," Hogan continued. "You can still look around and say you might take anything –"

"Yes, yes, Hogan," Burkhalter said. "But it seems that _you_ need something."

_He hit the target well_. The words raced across Hogan's mind. _He knows that we want something specific._ Hogan didn't know what to say next, but had been saved immediately. Almost as if it was to be, Carter came up from where he was working on coffee and dessert. Handing out cups, sugar and cream and finally the small cakes LeBeau had made, Carter said to General Burkhalter, "General, Sir, if I may talk, Colonel Hogan means to say that we _do_ need something. Colonel Klink has not been able t-to help us, but we thought that –"

"Shut up, Sergeant!" Klink, who had been quiet for a while, finally spoke up. Smiling falsely, Klink said, "General Burkhalter, I have listened to every prisoner's complaints and have complied with every _reasonable_ request that they had. Hogan usually comes for the men and demands that the prisoners be treated fairly and –"

"You shut up, Klink!" Burkhalter yelled. "Let our waiter speak. Obviously, I am still in charge of the prison camps. Therefore, I can take in this request for you, since you have been unable to help them. Now, Sergeant, please explain what the prison camps need." Burkhalter smiled a charming grin, inviting Carter to talk more, and continued. "After all, the Luftwaffe can fulfill _anything_ an airman prisoner has."

"Well," Carter continued shyly, "it has been said that medical officers are needed within a camp, usually p-prisoners."

"Carter's right, General," Hogan rambled on in his bargaining tone. He went on from where Carter started at. "Colonel Klink here wouldn't want the prisoners thinking about escape, especially if they're sick and at a point where there aren't too many guards. Now, see here, if we took some prisoners from someplace, who were trained in the medical corps, of course, then the prisoners wouldn't have to go to a German hospital and think about escape. That, and the prisoners left behind could take advantage of the lack of guards that this person caused. Indeed, General Burkhalter, the sick person could be faking it. We could have one of our own to help us in times of need. And in other, more serious times, Colonel Klink here could send Schultz for some person in town."

Schultz, still on the opposite end of the room, snorted and almost started to laugh. "What seems to be so funny about it, Schultz?" Klink demanded.

"Nothing, Herr Kommandant," Schultz answered. "I was just THINK-ing –"

"Oh, shut up," Klink said, ending the Sergeant's silly antics before they truly began.

"Seriously, gentlemen," Hogan said, in order to spark interest again. "We need medical officers who happen to be prisoners. I thought that it would save you all some trouble. After all, we _have_ lost interest in escaping, all in thanks to Colonel Klink here."

"It does sound strange to have that come from you, Hogan," Burkhalter said as he leaned back in his chair, "seeing as how it is the duty of every prisoner to escape. Why do you want to help _us_?"

"Women," Hogan answered without missing a beat. "General, it is well-known that men would be happier with women around. Seeing as how nurses are in high-demand, and there are probably more of them as prisoners out there, then it would make all sides happier. All of us see women and we prisoners have someone we could trust. At the same time, you have lesser escapes and lesser visits to the Hammelburg Hospital."

"Ah," Klink started, "there hasn't been any good _women_ around here."

"Maybe it's because they know WHY they can't come here," Schultz said.

Klink was able to apprehend his Sergeant of the Guards, but heard Burkhalter laugh with delight. "Schultz is right for once, Klink," he said. "Women are not drawn to prison camps because of the camp kommandants and perhaps the idea that they are caged inside. _But_, I think female medical prisoners from the other side _would_ make everyone happy. Thank you for the suggestion, Hogan."

"It was no problem, General," Hogan said. "Say, speaking of nurses, you know I knew some nurse back in London. She was a great girl. I think _everyone_ was falling in love with her. And it didn't matter that she wasn't interested. Now, what was her name…?" Hogan looked as if he was searching in his mind for the name, but he knew it anyhow. Finally, after a few seconds, Hogan snapped his fingers. "That was it! Her name is Colonel Nikola Michalovich. Damn, she was a good nurse." Hogan laughed, as if remembering the good, and not the last, memories with her. _Come back to me, Desertstar,_ Hogan thought without showing it. _We do need you here, with or without the Gestapo. I love you too much to let you go_.

Burkhalter suddenly had a dark look to his face. "So, you know this woman?" he asked strangely. Carter, who was at his picking up the dinner dishes as everyone finished desert, even stopped his motion. Silence reigned in the room. It seemed _wrong_ that Hogan knew the name, but it was not definite. _Does the Colonel know what he's doing?_ Carter thought, not for the first time. _It seems like Burkhalter's making this out to be a bad thing, but nobody knows for sure._

"Yes, I do, General Burkhalter," Hogan answered respectfully. "I knew her from when I was in Bridgeport, but it was very little. She was a good Catholic girl that everyone wanted to date because she was that beautiful and rare. But her father wouldn't let anyone go near her. She kept to herself and lived her own life with her close mentor and companion. Eventually, she became a nurse and worked in London."

Klink and Burkhalter immediately exchanged glances. _They know her_, Hogan thought with regret._ We're gonna be goners if this keeps up._ But even Hogan saw, on second thought, that saying her name _was_ a good thing, as the two glared at each other. It was the way that both faces lit up with amazement. It was as if they knew of her and could tell him more about her.

Burkhalter got up from his seat. "Klink, this prisoner speaks of one that has been missing for a few months now. As I understand it, the person that Hogan speaks of is elsewhere in the Third Reich. She is a prisoner herself."

"Really?" Hogan asked. "I never knew that."

"Yes, Hogan," Burkhalter said with a deep sigh. "She and someone else were supposed to be here a few months ago. Indeed, it was on the High Command's suggestion. We don't know why the order was switched suddenly, but we're sure to find out soon enough. The Gestapo can help us with that." With a sudden snap of his fingers, Burkhalter called for his coat and his car.

"Are you leaving us so soon, General?" Hogan asked. He had swiveled in his chair to ask Burkhalter such.

"Yes, Hogan," the other answered. As Klink blabbered to Burkhalter and helped him with his coat, Burkhalter continued to talk to Hogan, silencing Klink as he talked. "Colonel, I may not want this post, but it has made me reconsider what the stalags need. I also think I know what to do with these women." Without another word, Burkhalter left with Klink and Schultz behind him.

Carter, with his dirty dishes, came up to Hogan with LeBeau and Newkirk as the Germans left them to their devises. "What now, Sir?" Newkirk asked.

"Part one of our plans has been played out," Hogan sighed. "Let's hope that Burkhalter remembers the name. It seems that he does because he acted as if he knew her before. So, that's an advantage. We might get a dozen or so for the price of two. And the other stalags can thank us later."


	4. The Next Phase Begins

_Saturday, April 24, 1943_

_To Colonel Robert E. Hogan, senior P.O.W. officer of Stalag 13 and former commander of the 504__th__ Bomber Squadron of the United States Army Air Force: urgent message from Allied Headquarters, London. Repeated message: the mission, which H8WC has failed to complete, is vital for your men and for the Allies. More reports will be sent later on the dynamics of the rocket base and what should be done. The oil that was blown has been remade and needs to be destroyed before the Axis Powers launch the rocket._

_Also of the utmost importance: Colonel Michalovich and Major Donovan-White have been spotted alive at the Auschwitz camp in Poland as of 2054 hours of Tuesday, April 20, 1943. It has been heard that they will be released to the Luftstalags later this month and will be spared unless they confess to their crimes of espionage of the previous year in Paris. Otherwise, please stand by for the packages to be delivered to your door. Many thanks for a mission well done!_

The message, pretty much the same since the previous December except with its little irritations along the way and this last congratulation, annoyed Hogan more as he read it. A pretty spring day, the windows were open to the air. Already, the evergreens seemed brighter and the ground was less frozen. _And we can be thankful for a warmer roll call in the morning, afternoon and evening_, Hogan thought. _More importantly, we can handle the new women prisoners if needed. The warm weather would help. And we can thank General Burkhalter for pulling strings and keeping his position as lead of the prison camps._

Regret filled his body suddenly. _We might be too late._ _They were seen four days ago. A lot can happen in that time. Nikki and Nancy, for all I know, could be dead by now._

A knock on the door interrupted Hogan. It was Kinch and Newkirk who came in as Hogan called for them to. "A message came in from the Underground, Sir," Kinch said, handing over a blue piece of paper as Newkirk stood there with important news, waiting to be acknowledged. It was a short message, Hogan noted, and it gave him more optimism. _The Underground is less irritating than London,_ Hogan thought as he read the message, noting that it was also top priority. _Vital:_ _packages have been spotted. An agent is watching them daily in the factory. All female nurses and Soviet airmen are being released within the week. Stand by for further instructions._

The words almost sent Hogan yelling with joy, but he kept his cool and stayed calm for his men. "Is there anything else, Kinch?" he asked instead to his right-hand man. His happiness had to be concealed if his friends were to be released from Poland. Indeed, he had to keep it from his men in order to keep his sanity intact.

"No, Colonel," Kinch said, "and I can't go down to the tunnels for a while, even if London had a message for us."

"Why?" Hogan asked instantly. He became worried and his eyebrow went straight up.

Newkirk cleared his throat. "Gov'nor, the Gestapo is 'ere. Major Hochstetter has ordered his men diggin' in the compound and outside the fence. They also have a truck that would detect radio messages. Kinch here shut down the radio when he heard."

"Does anyone know what's going on?" Hogan asked. "Did anyone go up to the guards and divert them or ask Klink?"

"No, Colonel," Kinch answered. "Klink has ordered all of the prisoners into the barracks after the Gestapo came in. Hochstetter seems to have frightened him into that order. Obviously, something fishy is up."

"Indeed, it is," Hogan answered as he jumped off of his bunk, "and I am ready to find out what's going on. Now, who's coming with me?"


End file.
